The Arab uprisings that began in 2011 have drawn attention to elements crucial to assessing and reassessing the ways that states form, stay together, and react to the forces of globalization. For different states in the MENA region, this has had different implications and consequences that stem from the politics of identity and the historical and political processes individual states have faced in their development. This volume examines these elements in terms of religion, ethnicity, and identity - among other factors - to illustrate their importance in state formation and the ways that they have been affected by the uprisings. It focuses on the historical, political, economic, and social factors at work, especially as they take shape next to globalization. Case studies include well-established states such as Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, as well as less well established Gulf countries such as Bahrain. The authors take the view that identity is a dynamic and changing element in the process of state formation.

For states in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, the "Arab Spring" has had different implications and consequences, stemming from the politics of identity and the historical and political processes that have shaped development. This book focuses on how these factors interact with globalization and affect state formation.